They’ve won their last eight games, including Saturday’s 54-8 semifinal romp over Weedsport at D’Alessandro Stadium, and their reward is a Class D playoff rematch with Onondaga and a shot at winning a 15th Section III football title.
Considering who they’ll be up against, most consider it a very long shot.

But this is Dolgeville, and these are the Blue Devils.

“We’re more than ready,” said Dolgeville senior linebacker Jeff Sutton of next Friday’s 5 p.m. final at Cicero-North Syracuse High School, where he and the Blue Devils (8-1) will face defending section champion Onondaga (9-0). “We figured all along it was going to be them, and we wanted it to be them because of last year.”

A year ago, Murray ran for three touchdowns and Onondaga ended Dolgeville’s season with a 30-0 win in the Section III semifinals. But the Blue Devils have outscored their last eight opponents 343-27, quarterback Kelsey Brandow is coming off the best game of his career, and their defense just forced six Weedsport turnovers.

“It’s what we’ve been waiting for all year,” said Brandow, who completed his first seven passes, three of them for touchdowns, and also ran for a touchdown. “We know what Onondaga has, but we’ll come prepared. We know they’re good, but anybody can beat anybody on any given day.”

Brandow threw two touchdown passes to Clay Ardoin and another to Kyle Barnes, Ardoin also scored on runs of 10 and 48 yards, reserve Paul Barnes ran for a fourth-quarter score, and Kyle LaGrange returned a punt 53 yards for a touchdown and had two interceptions for the state-ranked No. 13 Blue Devils.

Sutton and Dustin Ferguson each had an interception, Sutton and Shane Lyon recovered Weedsport fumbles – Lyon also blocked a punt -- and Dolgeville’s defense limited the eighth-ranked Warriors (7-2) to six first downs.

Weedsport had shut out three of its last four opponents since a 60-23 loss to Onondaga, but Dolgeville rolled up 352 yards, 216 of them on the ground. Andy Johnston ran for 80 yards on eight carries, Ardoin added 69 yards in seven attempts, and Brandow threw for 136 yards.

Dolgeville scored on the game’s opening drive, but a goal-line stand by Weedsport kept it a 7-0 game until the last five minutes of the half. The Blue
Devils then struck three times in a 3½-minute span – Brandow threw touchdown passes of 45 and 26 yards to Ardoin and Barnes, respectively, and LaGrange returned a punt for another score – to make it 27-0 at the half.

Just two plays into the third quarter, Sutton’s interception was immediately followed by Ardoin’s 30-yard touchdown catch between three defenders.
“(Brandow) knows he can trust our receivers,” said Ardoin. “He knows he can throw it up and let us go get it. That’s the best game he’s played.”

Brandow certainly impressed Onondaga coach Jason Trousdale.

“That kid can throw the ball, and he was throwing strikes, too,” said Trousdale. “We thought we could stop the run. We just couldn’t defend the pass.”

But what about Dolgeville’s championship game chances of upsetting Onondaga in Friday night’s section final?

“Do they have a chance?” Trousdale said, pondering for a moment the answer to his own question. “If that quarterback can complete a few long ones and if they get some turnovers and if they take care of the ball themselves. …

“Onondaga will have to play a sub-par game and if Dolgeville plays like they did today, they absolutely have a shot.”